The True Value of Beauty
by MistressArafaxdeep
Summary: Ino takes a small vacation from her life and meets a particular blonde haired missing nin. How will the relationship work when they are forced to go seperate ways? A DeidaraXIno lemon.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, a little side adventure to the DeidaraXIno story that's been bouncing around in my head. This is really dirty (at least for me to be writing). I mean the whole thing is a giant sex scene, with flashbackmemorythought things. But I'm posting it anyhow because it will leave me alone once it's on paper. Umm...I think there will be a maximum of three parts. I don't want to go too in depth. Mostly I want it out of my head.

BTW- Naruto does not belong to me. I don't think I should have to say this five hundred times but I don't want to get into trouble or anything.

* * *

Even as he pulled off her shirt and kissed her collar bone, she pondered how she had gotten herself into this situation with him so soon. It wasn't like she had tried. But it wasn't like she hadn't tried either. Besides it was way too late to say no. He'd have her now, regardless of whether she changed her mind or not.

It hadn't originally been in her plans to have sex with the blonde missing nin. She was there to take a short break from her ninja life, relax, kick back, enjoy the scenery. And he'd been there too, waiting for his orders. Then they'd ran into each other. He'd turned a corner too fast and she hadn't been paying attention, instead thinking about the boy who she thought she loved. The boy that she had thought she loved until he'd gone to Orochimaru to gain power.

_Stupid Sasuke_, she thought to herself as the mouths on the blonde man's hands sucked on each of her breasts. His actual mouth was working in an intricate pattern, alternating between sucking and nipping the skin on her neck. She was only half paying attention to the ninja she was underneath, too consumed by her own thoughts to pay him much mind.

He lifted his head and said in her ear, "You don't seem too into this, yeah."

She smirked. She'd prove to herself that she didn't want Sasuke. "Sorry Deidara. I was thinking, but I'm all yours now," she purred. She thought he was quite attractive really, and unlike Sasuke, he paid attention to her. Actually Deidara was probably just what she needed to show herself that Sasuke wasn't worth her time. And as she thought about what she said, she realized that it had been true. Surprisingly enough, she wanted to be all his. She wanted to feel him inside of her.

He returned the smirk. "Well, Ino, if that's how you feel…let's make a bang."

She met his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck so that she could pull her body against his. He clutched her rear, pulling her hips against his. He ground down on her, forcing her to emit a gasp. Even though he still had his pants on, she could feel the hardened member underneath and his thrust had pushed it against her already throbbing region.

"Deidara...don't play with me," Ino begged in between breaths. "I need you now!"

"Come on, playing is the best part, yeah!"

"I'll get up and leave right now, if you don't give me what I want."

He looked into her lust filled eyes. "You can't. You want me too much, un," he said with a smirk.

Her eyes hardened, glaring. He realized that even in her heightened state of desire, she wouldn't hesitate to do it. She'd leave. He didn't want her to leave yet. At some point she would have to return home, and he would have to continue his mission in the Akatsuki. He wasn't quite ready for that seperation. As reluctant as he was to admit it to himself (and he'd never admit it to any of the other Akatsuki members) he was attached to the girl. Something about her set her apart from others in his mind. And he didn't know how much time he would get to spend with her before that seperation came. So he wanted as much time with her as possible. If giving into her demands provided that, he was more than willing to admit defeat.

"Fine," he said, eyeing the blonde kunoichi with lust. "Let me get these off, yeah," he continued, gesturing to his pants as he stood on his knees. Ino sat up, and pulled them down for him, making the most seductive face imaginable at him while doing so. She might have blushed when she saw his swollen manhood, but she quickly covered up any trace of it by gently taking the member in her hands and rubbing it. Deidara gasped as an electric shock ran through his body. Ino, deciding to see what other fun reactions she could get out of him, proceeded to put it inside of her mouth. She nibbled and sucked a little and the next thing she knew, a warm, icky tasting, fluid was in her mouth. She swallowed hard and pulled away. She gagged at the taste but forced it down. She hadn't wanted to go for oral. It was too gross for her.

Deidara being in a state of frenzy because of the act Ino had left unfinished, pushed her down onto the bed hard. He groaned and came down hard onto her, pushing into the soft folds of skin between her legs. Ino jerked underneath of him, letting out loud moan. He didn't care. She had caused this, now she was going to feel the consequence. He pushed deeper, grasping her butt to pull her against him. She choked out, "Deidara...go...hard." He took this as his cue, thrusting in and out as quickly as he could. She kept her body sycronized with him, moving perfectly in their copulation. She screamed his name in her pleasure. He buried his face in her bare chest as he called out her name. As she climaxed, he felt her tighten around his still pulsing manhood. He was reaching his peak as well, and within seconds he ejaculated, collapsing on top of her in exhausted ecstasy.

"I love you, Deidara," Ino whispered as she drifted off to sleep. This moment had been much better than the moment she had dreamed off. Sasuke had nothing on this beautiful, blonde missing ninja to whom she'd just given herself.

"Yeah," was his reply as he pulled her body against his. She snuggled against him. He played with a lock of her golden hair. She was lovely. A true work of art. At least her beauty was only beginning to dawn on him. It would be pity to have to destroy her. He sighed, and put his head on her shoulder. This was better than he'd imagined. He kissed her shoulder blade. He would preserve her beauty as long as possible, but something in his gut told him he would never think of her beauty as being fleeting, that something in his philosophy had been shaken by a single night in bed with the blonde kunoichi. He drifted off to sleep, the best piece of art ever created secured tightly in his arms.

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**Okay...I'm sorry that it's so short. I'll try to add a little more to this later. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this was a ridiculously fast post. I should have been sleeping. Oh well. I'm sorry that this story is so depressing, but that's the only way I can think of writing it. It's not going to get any better. But I might just throw in a bonus lemon in another chapter just to make up for the depressing, tragedy nature of this story.**

**Still don't own Naruto...**

* * *

She gently touched the face of the blonde man beside her. The last two weeks of her life had been amazing. Deidara was amazing. He woke up at her touch, looking at her vaguely curious. "What?"

"I have to go home soon. I said that I'd be back in a month. It's been three weeks already," Ino answered solemnly. Deidara stared at her. She couldn't leave him. His life would go back to feeling purposeless when she left. She looked away from him, holding in her tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think I could fall in love with someone so quickly. I'd never have done this if I thought I'd actually feel something this strong for you."

Deidara nodded in agreement. Their relationship had, in the beginning, been primarily about banging each other. She was doing it to prove that she didn't need Sasuke. He was doing it because well, why shouldn't he? He didn't get away from Akatsuki enough to take care of those particular needs. But of course, what had started as simply performing the act for self gratification, had quickly become so much more. Neither one had expected to fall in love with the other, but that's what happened.

From the beginning Deidara had found something different about Ino. He still couldn't put his finger on exactly what that quality about her was. But whatever it was wouldn't allow him to just break away from her and move on with his life. He was stuck, fixated on her. She was the perfect piece of art. Every night when he looked over her bare flesh, as she moaned in pleasure from under him, he saw her beauty increase. He wanted to see how beautiful he could make her.

"Deidara…" Ino said quietly. "Is everything alright? You look a little distant right now."

"I'm fine, yeah." He looked down. He didn't think he could handle it, the separation. "Ino?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Could you stay with me? Forever, I mean?"

She gasped and looked at him in shock, a smile eventually adorning her face. "Of course I would Deidara. But I can't, at least, not right now."

He sighed. "I figured you'd say that, un."

"You know full well I have to go back. Besides I'm still too young to be getting married. In two years, I'll turn eighteen. Then I'll leave the village and stay with you forever."

"You mean it, un?"

Ino nodded. "Of course I do. I want to be with you. But I can't just disappear." She looked at Deidara speculatively. "You know, you could come to Konoha as a civilian, and then we could have a normal relationship."

Deidara shook his head. "I can't leave the organization. Besides, people in Konoha would probably recognize me as a missing nin, yeah. These hands kind of make it difficult to hide my identity, un," he answered, holding his hands out so the mouths were revealed.

"You're right," she answered, admitting her defeat. "You know, I think for now we should drop the subject."

"If you want, yeah," he answered. Ino stared into his eyes. She really had fallen in love with him. And suddenly Sasuke didn't seem like the amazing person he'd seemed like before. She wouldn't trade what she had for what she wanted in the past. Her present seemed like a better deal too. He was attractive, powerful, and mysterious. All the qualities that had drawn Ino to Sasuke in the first place. Of course, Deidara was also outgoing and artistic, traits that Ino herself possessed and could connect with. Yes Deidara was a much better match for her on many levels.

She gave Deidara a cunning smile. "We should probably enjoy the time we have together before I have to leave." He agreed to this, but before he could say anything, Ino was straddling his waist. "Let's go."

Deidara smirked. "You got it, yeah!"

* * *

Deidara and Ino's last week together pretty much proceeded in the same fashion. They barely managed to make it out of the bedroom. They didn't know when the next opportunity would be, and they were dedicated to making the most of the one they had. On the morning that Ino had to leave, she was lying on the bed on her stomach crying, her head buried in the pillow to muffle her sobs. Deidara noticed and went to comfort her as best as he could.

"Ino, what's the matter, yeah?" he asked, rubbing a hand along her back comfortingly.

"I…I have to leave. Today," she choked out.

"It's okay. We both knew that this day was approaching, un." He could see the movement of her head, indicating a nod. He smiled as he got an idea. "How about I walk you to the outskirts of Konoha? Would you like that, yeah?"

Ino lifted herself up so that she could gaze at him adoringly through bleary eyes. "You're the best. I'd love it if you'd go with me." A smile adorned her face, and she jumped off the bed to wrap Deidara in an affectionate embrace. A smile also spread across his face as he moved his hands to hold her.

After the two had eaten breakfast, they departed. They made good time through fire country. As the day started to wane, they neared the border of Konoha. This was where they would say goodbye. Ino started to tear up. "Deidara…I don't want you to leave me," Ino said while fighting the urge to cry.

"I know," he answered. "But we don't have a choice in this matter. Neither of us can leave our current lives, and at the moment that's what we'd have to do, yeah."

Ino hugged his lithe masculine form. "I'm going to miss you. You're mean more to me than anyone." A single tear rolled down her cheek. He used his thumb to brush it away.

"Ino, I promise I will come back. Then we can be together, forever." He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I have something for you."

She moved back so that she could look up at him. He held out a closed hand to her. She put two of hers under his and he turned his hand over, dropping something into it. "I made it for you, yeah." She held the artwork gingerly. "As long as you carry it with you, I'll be able to find you, un. Since the clay is infused with my chakra, it will be very easy for me to track it down. If you have it, I can find you, yeah," he said bashfully. Ino looked at the clay bird on the string he'd given her. He'd made her a necklace. "I wanted to give you something that only I could give you because I love you, un. More than I know how to express," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back as she wrapped him into her arms.

He lifted her chin to kiss her. She melted into his lips. If he hadn't vowed to leave before sunset, he would have spent one last night with her before an undetermined amount of time of separation, of time without her presence. But he would leave. The whole process was already difficult enough, and he didn't feel like leaving her in the middle of the night in the forest asleep and undressed.

When he pulled back, she smiled up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I promise that I'll be waiting for you."

He nodded. "Goodbye Ino, un…" he said before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. With tears rolling down her face Ino turned to go home.

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Sorry that it's short. I don't like writing sad stuff. And I'm also sorry for grammatical errors. 3 am is not a good time to use your brain for grammar mistakes. It's just not. I hope you enjoyed, or at least appreciated. Please leave reviews. They make me feel good. 


	3. Chapter 3

**So I decided to give this more than three parts. But I think the next one will be the end. I'm actually surprised at how fast I've been updating. It's probably because I'm forfeiting sleep to do this. Oh well, at least I have to use my brain to write, which is something I wouldn't be doing if I was just surfing the net.**

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Ino trudged into her house. It had been a day like any other. She'd just gotten back to Konoha from a mission with her team. They'd been escorting some high lord back to his home village. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened so it hadn't been too exciting. She greeted her parents and continued up to her bedroom. She was exhausted even though the events of the day hadn't been too taxing. She guessed it was the sadness and loneliness that tightly gripped her heart. 

When she'd returned from her little vacation over a year ago, she was an emotional wreck. She would start crying for no reason obvious to anyone else. Everyone had been very concerned for her. Actually a lot of people still were. She wasn't the normal, loud, bossy Ino. She moped. She cried. She hung her head as she went around the village consumed in grief. Fortunately people believed that she was grieving over Sasuke's abandonment. Sakura had noticed her behavior and had tried to support her. After all Sakura had felt the same too.

Well at least Sakura thought that they'd been feeling the same thing. Sakura had been very upset when Sasuke left. Ino had been as well, but this was different. The pain Sakura had felt when her friendship with Sasuke had shattered was nothing compared to the intimate bond Ino possessed with Deidara that had been put on hold. She guessed the separation wouldn't have been so bad, if she'd known when she'd see him again. But she didn't and everyday she woke up wondering when he'd come back for her.

She sighed as she slid open her bedroom door. She decided to take a shower, since she did in fact still have road grime on her. She stripped, wrapping a towel around herself, and walked to the bathroom. Soon the water was the correct temperature and she stepped in. The water was heavenly against her sore muscles. She stood rigid, desperately fighting the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. Eventually she lost her battle and thoughts of the blonde missing nin overwhelmed her. She stared into space, not focusing on anything as water hit her skin. Her tears started and Ino cried in the shower, falling to her knees and burying her head into her hands.

Eventually her tears stopped coming and she was left with red, puffy eyes, and she was certainly not feeling any cleaner. She turned off the water, and grabbed her towel, drying herself. She paused to look at her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her eyes were swollen and glazed over. Her skin was unnaturally pale. She had lost a lot of weight. Apparently her emotional health was affecting her physical health. She looked away from the mirror in horror. Would Deidara still find her beautiful if he came back and found her like this? She didn't think so.

She walked into her room and pulled on pajamas. She brushed through her hair, reminiscing of the days she'd spent with him. She turned to her bed and was about to lay down on it when she noticed an envelope on her pillow. Curiously, she picked it up. She quickly opened it, and gasped when she read it.

_Dear Ino,_

_Come__ visit__ me__ before I have to leave for my mission. I'll be at the __flower shop._

_D._

She didn't even think. Still in her pajamas, she jumped out of her window, landing softly on the ground below. She quickly ran in the direction of the flower shop. Deidara had been vague in case someone other than Ino found the note. She arrived shortly after her departure and scanned the area carefully, trying to find any trace of him. It was then that an arm wrapped around her waist from behind. She tensed up at first, but then realized who it was. "Deidara," she whispered, all of the pain and sadness that had built up inside of her disappearing in that instant.

He put his chin on her shoulder, breathing in her scent. "You're as lovely as ever Ino," he whispered, his breath tickling her neck. She smiled, turned around to be wrapped in his arms warmly, and in turn wrap her own arms around him.

They stood that way for several minutes. She looked up at him. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" Her tone was gentle and very alluring.

He sighed. "I wanted to see you again, yeah. I'm about to go out on the mission I've been waiting for. I don't know when I'll be done with it, un."

She gazed up at him. "I know you really don't want to answer, but what do you have to do?"

He frowned. "I have to capture a certain person who harbors a tailed demon."

Ino looked at him shocked. "You're not after Naruto are you?" As much as the blonde pest got on her nerves she certainly didn't want to see him harmed. Not that it mattered too much. He was with Jiraiya right now, and the sannin was sure to protect him from harm.

He shook his head. "I'm not after the Kyuubi kid. The one who I have to capture is Gaara, yeah."

Ino nodded. She didn't care one bit about the fate of Suna's scary Kazekage. He was weird and homicidal (I love Gaara just so you know; I just don't think that Ino would).

Deidara certainly had missed her. As soon as he caught his Jinchuuriki, he'd come back for her. He'd take her away from everything, and it would be just the two of them, together forever. He pulled her against his body, and nibbled at her neck. "I don't have much time, yeah. Only tonight, un," he whispered. He grabbed her hand and started leading her towards his hotel. Ino complied without a second thought.

* * *

As the sun rose, Ino gazed at the man sleeping beside her. In one night her sadness had evaporated. He'd come back for sure. He'd capture Gaara, finish his mission, and then he'd be back for her. He loved her. Last night had answered any questions she'd had regarding that subject. It seemed that distance and separation had only enforced their relationship, made them truly realize their true feelings. 

Ino twined her fingers in his hair. He moaned softly in his sleep, moving so that his arm was draped her stomach. Ino smiled. "I love you," she whispered. She gently massaged the back of his skull as he slept, eliciting blissful murmurs from him. She sighed.

She heard a chuckle. The cheater. He hadn't actually been sleeping. "I know you're awake," she told him.

He sat up smiling at her. "The head rub was just too good that I couldn't pass up the opportunity, yeah."

She smiled back. "Oh fine," she said cheerily.

He leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled back, he told her, "You should probably go home before your parents notice that you're missing, un."

She nodded. She stood up, and after finding the pajamas that had been strewn across the floor, she pulled them back on. Deidara got up with her and reclothed himself as well. The two of them left the hotel room, heading towards Ino's house. They all too quickly arrived. Ino gave Deidara a sad smile. "I'll be waiting for you," she said.

He pulled her against his body tightly, kissing her passionately. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I won't keep you waiting any longer than you have to, yeah."

She ran her hand along his face, gave him and peck on the cheek, and then gracefully jumped back up into her room. When she looked down Deidara was already gone.

* * *

It was obvious to everyone she came in contact with that day that Ino was finally over her depression. She was her normal self. She met up with her teammates. Shikamaru and Chouji both smiled at her. "It's good to have you back, Ino," Shikamaru told her after their training for the day. 

She returned his smile. "It's good to be back," she answered simply. And inside she knew that Deidara had brought her back with his visit. He had given her renewed hope and she was very excited for the day when she could finally stay with him forever.

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**As I have previously stated, I think the next one will be the last. Unless you give me more ideas for chapters in reviews, it will be finished in the next one. And it will be extremely sad and emotional (at least I hope I can write it that way). So leave me reviews if you want some more or I don't know, just a general review. Oh, and if you can spot the obscure Little Mermaid qoute, I will treat really nice, give you gifts and love you everyday.**


	4. Chapter 4

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Deidara was glad to finally have his mission completed. He had captured the Shukaku without too much difficulty. The entire time his thoughts stayed on Ino. He wanted to get things done quickly so he could be with her faster. The three day extraction process was tedious on him. And then he'd lost against a group of Konoha ninja only to return to find out that Sasori had died. Nothing was going good for him. Except for the fact that Ino would permanently be in his arms within the month.

He sighed as he glanced over at his new partner. Tobi was a little dense and frequently got on his nerves. But it wasn't a big deal to take him to meet up with Ino, he was clueless anyways. Deidara had sent her a letter, telling her to meet him and she would be there very soon. Of course his anticipation got the best of him and he almost ran right into a black haired boy. He'd stopped and hid, but it was too late. The other had sensed his presence.

It did not take Deidara long to figure out that the kid was Itachi's little brother. What with the both of them possessing the same Sharingan and apathetic personality. Of course Deidara could not pass up the opportunity to beat up a Sharingan user, so he fought the kid. He was surprised at the strength the Uchiha possessed. So he had to increase the power of his own attacks. He wasn't going to lose. He was not going to let the Uchiha brat better him. He'd suffered being bested by Itachi his entire time with the Akatsuki. He wasn't going to let Itachi's snot nosed little brother beat him.

* * *

Ino was excitedly running through the forest to her destination. She was going to meet Deidara at an abandoned shack just off the main road. She was not too far away from it. She'd managed to sneak out of the village and say goodbye to everyone without making it sound permanent. Which of course it was. She was never going to leave Deidara's side again.

A loud explosion echoed through the woods. It still kind of faint and she could tell it was a far way off. But knowing what she did about Deidara and his techniques, she automatically assumed it was him. A hint of fear clawed at the pit of her stomach. It probably wasn't a good thing if he was fighting someone in the middle of a forest. She immediately changed her course, heading towards the sounds of the ever increasing number of explosions.

All at once a giant fireball lit up the sky. Ino could feel the heat of it even though it was still in the distance, and the force of the explosion made the ground tremble. Ino's nagging fear turned into full blown terror after this, especially when she noticed that there were no more explosions.

She easily found the area where the huge explosion had destroyed. It wasn't difficult when all the trees where scorched or burning as evidence. She made her way to the center of the circle of destruction, carefully avoiding getting herself burned. She still moved quickly, more afraid than she had ever been in her life. What had happened?

She heard a groan. She followed the voice and came upon a charred and bloody body. The person screamed. Ino kneeled down beside him and gasped in horror. Beneath the ruined physique she could discern that this person was indeed her beloved Deidara. "Oh no…" she stammered staring down at him in disbelief. Her voice was quiet and filled with uncertainty. "What happened to you?"

He moaned. She felt the tears stream down her face as she started to use her chakra to try to heal his injuries. "I…I lost," he choked through the pain. "He…was…too…powerful."

Ino knew he was in terrible condition. Especially since he didn't even have the strength to use his classic "un's" and "yeah's". "Who did it?" she whispered in his ear.

"The…Uchiha…younger…I wanted, uh…to kill…him," Deidara stuttered, wincing with every word he spoke. She grabbed one of his hands. Holding it close she could feel the mouth on it, slack and unmoving. She pushed her own chakra into him, desperately trying to make him better. He groaned low, gasping for breath. "Ino?" he asked.

She looked at him in the eyes. She could see the tears in his. "It's too late to save me." He grimaced.

She shook her head, fervently denying what he'd said. "No! No! No! I won't let you die! I don't want to be alone! Don't go! Please!" she screamed while sobbing.

He squeezed her hand. He gave her a grimace which was supposed to be a smile. "I'm sorry." He grip loosened considerably and he sagged against the ground. In a weak and faded voice he muttered his last word, "I love you." And then he spoke no more.

Ino screamed in anguish. He was dead. The man she loved was dead. She flung herself against his burned up body, letting her tears stream into the open mouth on his chest. She laid there mourning for several hours. Eventually she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

She was awakened later, by a tap on the shoulder. Groggily with still bleary eyes she looked up at the person. Shikamaru and Naruto stood over her, looking down at her in shock. It was obvious to them that she had been crying, and the blackened corpse she had been sprawled across was the person the tears had been shed for.

Shikamaru bent down to kneel in front of her. "What happened, Ino?" he asked in a concerned manner.

She stared through him, at an obscure point behind him. "He's dead." She had briefly mentioned to her teammates the source of her previous woes. The reason that she had been depressed. So Shikamaru kind of knew about Deidara, but not everything about him. He'd also figured out she'd left the village to go meet him and if no one went after her she would never come back. He'd asked Tsunade for permission to go find her when she'd been reported as missing.

He hugged her. It wasn't in his personality, but seeing his teammate dirty and crying over the man she loved was causing him pain as well. He let her cry into his shoulder, offering what comfort he could to her. Naruto gently rubbed her back, also in an attempt to make her feel better. When her tears abated the three of them set to work burying Deidara. Ino was pale and quiet. Neither Shikamaru nor Naruto knew who the guy was (yes I know that Naruto fought against Deidara, but Deidara's not exactly recognizable anymore. Think Anakin Skywalker in the Revenge of the Sith. That's pretty much what he looks like) but the diligently and quietly buried the body and paid their last respects.

On the inside Ino was being torn to pieces. She was glad to have the two guys there for moral support. But she had just lost a big part of herself, and it would take a very long time for it to completely heal. And a deep hatred was forming in her heart. She would never be able to forgive the man who'd done this to her. She regretted ever liking him in the past. She'd pay the favor back in some way. She'd hate him forever. "Damn you," she whispered to herself, cursing the man who'd killed Deidara, Sasuke.

The other two didn't hear her. They finished what they were doing. "Alright, Ino, let's go home," Shikamaru told her. She nodded mutely and they plodded home as a light rain started to fall.

* * *

Ino's punishment hadn't been too severe. She'd gotten placed on probation of sorts and couldn't do much of anything. She could still train in Konoha, but missions were forbidden. Her medical ninja training was suspended as well. Fortunately, they didn't classify her as a missing nin. Since the chance at that life was now dead, literally.

Every once in a while she would need someone to talk to. Or a shoulder to cry on. Broken hearts didn't heal over night. And in the whole of Konoha she could only go to two people, the two people who'd found her. She tried to avoid Naruto for this; he was such a loud mouth. On occasion, she'd join him for ramen and have an emotional outpouring. But much more frequently, she found herself alone with Shikamaru; him holding her while she cried.

As time wore on, she didn't need to cry as much. But she still found herself spending time alone with Shikamaru. And he still held her as if she was crying. Slowly, Ino came to realize what this meant. He loved her. She pondered this, not really wanting to admit that she loved him too. Because she'd used him as an emotional crutch for so long, she was bound to him.

One day, while he was holding her she turned around to stare into his eyes. He looked at her perplexed. She gave him a smile. "Thank you for saving me from myself Shika. I don't know where I'd be now, without you."

He shrugged. "Just helping out a teammate."

Ino shook her head at him. Then she leaned in and kissed him. He stared at her shocked. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Shika, if I couldn't have come to you for comfort, I'd probably still be depressed right now. But you afforded me emotional support. And because of that, the bond we share has grown. It's grown into something much more than friendship." She gave him a bashful smile. "Yes, in my heart I still love 'him', but he's dead now. And, Shika, I think I may have fallen in love with you."

Shikamaru stared at her. "Troublesome girls," he muttered.

Ino hit him. "I just confessed my love and all you have to say is that I'm 'Troublesome'!"

He smirked. He pulled her against him and kissed her lips passionately. When he pulled back he said, "Yep, you're troublesome, but I love you too."

* * *

**Yeah! I hope you don't mind me putting her with Shikamaru. As I've said I like consistency...so Deidara dies by explosion (like in the original story) and Ino is with Shikamaru (like in my other story). This whole thing was pretty much a side adventure into DeixIno for me. I actually really enjoyed it. I hope you did too.**

**Please leave me reviews. I'd like to know what you thought about the story as a whole.**


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